Lessons From Box 35

A cross-country move, an over-engineered system, and the universal law of entropy

Let me tell you a story about how my meticulously engineered system for moving across the country collided with a fundamental law of the universe: entropy.

To manage my move across the country, I used Notion to create a “Houston Command Center.” Within the Houston Command Center, I developed three separate databases. They were labeled Tasks Tracker, Item Inventory and Route, and Box and Container Log. It was an absolute work of art … if, like me, you geek out about such things.

But to actually build it from scratch, I had to first teach myself how to use Notion. So, I consumed untold amounts of content by watching YouTube videos and reading various blogs.

Building systems that can survive a logistics audit used to be part of my professional life.

My bespoke system included key data fields. There were room assignments, priority levels for unpacking, and even a check box to indicate when a box was fully packed and sealed. And, because I’m fancy, I made sure to link the Item Inventory database to the Box and Container Log database. This allowed me to quickly know that my pink Le Creuset Dutch oven was in Box #7 and would ship via a POD, versus my car, versus the Gulfstream.

I then started the long process of sorting, purging, and carefully packing the items of my life into dozens of boxes. I even used wardrobe boxes to hold my carefully hung clothes. This allowed me to both save time on packing and unpacking, and keep them wrinkle-free.

Fast forward one month. Due to challenges with logistics earlier in the day, it wasn’t until 9 p.m. that the movers could unload my POD. I found myself tired, but needing to manage a flurry of activity which lasted ninety-minutes and left my head spinning. In the end, I was standing in my new kitchen looking at a hodge-podge of boxes and furniture which filled my living room to the brim.

The moving guys didn’t give a damn about my elegant system. They simply wanted to finish the job and go home. They paid no attention to the labels. There was no sorting of the boxes by room. My priority system was meaningless to them. Did the box make it into the apartment? Yes? Then shut up and pay me.

I began sifting through the warehouse of boxes in my living room to dig out some sheets for the bed. As I pushed a bathroom box to the side, and scooted the heavy kitchen box to the left, I bumped smack dab into one of the large wardrobe boxes.

It was delivered UPSIDE DOWN!

All of my carefully hung clothes were crumpled at what was now the bottom of the box. Adding insult to injury, the shoe boxes that were packed under the hanging clothes were now sitting on top of my fancy dresses.

I shook my head and just laughed to keep from crying.

The next morning I awoke, physically tired, but mentally clear. Looking back, I know that creating the Houston Command Center was my attempt at exerting some control over the absolute chaos that was my life at the time.

I was living in a staged home for months while waiting for it to sell. Then, with escrow opened, I quickly needed to pack and coordinate a multi-stage move which coincided with multiple pre-planned trips. All of this had to be completed within four weeks that also included international travel. It was insane.

Now in Houston, I opened the first box I saw. At this point, the priority assignment no longer mattered to me either. I had no idea what was in said box.

In fact, the box showed me that my system had actually broken down long before the upside down wardrobe box. Entropy had entered the scene back in California. You see, the box that I labeled “clothes” in my inventory system didn’t tell me which clothes. And, Box 38 out of 38? My inventory list said it was full of “Random shit in dining room.” What does that even mean? LOL!

New city, new Nicole. I shrugged my shoulders and decided to head to the store for some provisions.

I was walking through the aisles of Lowe’s Home Improvement looking for a lighter. I needed to ignite the sage I would use to smudge my new home when I noticed a bouquet of beautiful wooden roses. I instantly grabbed a bunch and with my other items, returned to my apartment. My new life in Houston would start with good energy and beauty. Each time I felt a wave of anxiety rising, I would look to the roses for comfort.

The next thing I did was locate my espresso machine. Thankfully, that box was labeled clearly in my inventory list.

Today, I sat sipping a latte amidst unopened boxes and with my items strewn all over.

Chaos may rule the day, but beauty and ritual center me and calm my mind.

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Postscript:

For those who are curious, the instinct behind building the Houston Command Center didn’t come out of nowhere. Throughout my career I’ve been the person who identifies complex operational problems, designs systems to address them, and then builds and executes the solutions from start to finish. Creating order out of chaos has long been part of my professional work.

If you ever find yourself facing a problem that needs that kind of thinking, feel free to reach out.